Gloria Nelligan desperately performed chest compressions trying to revive her naked 8-year-old grandson on an upstairs bedroom floor before paramedics took over and later transported him to the hospital, according to testimony Friday during a pre-trial hearing.

On the morning of Feb. 23, the city woman also allegedly told several police officers and firefighters that Sha'hiim Nelligan had recently started misbehaving because he had began talking with his biological father.

Sgt. Paul Palmer testified during questioning from Assistant District Attorney Christina Tremante Pelham that he overheard Nelligan, 43, talk to his fellow officers about the boy's behavior, how earlier that day he tried to rub his lips on the kitchen floor and then later hit his head on the bathtub while she tried to bathe him inside their 23 Mydnderse Ave. home. Nelligan was Sha'hiim's legal guardian.

Palmer said Nelligan went on to explain how she then told him to go to his room only to hear a loud thud.

"She was having problems with Sha'hiim as far as him acting out," said Palmer.

City detectives interviewed Nelligan about her grandson on Feb. 23 but brought her back the next day for more questioning by lead investigator, John Hotaling and Thomas Ciampolilo.

On the stand, Ciampolilo noted he told Nelligan it was "awesome" that she took Sha'hiim back to the store to return gum he stole from the business. He also acknowledged to Public Defender Mark Caruso that the word "murderer" was used and he assumed the "bad cop" role while Hotaling was the "good cop," who took on a more soft-spoken tone as part of their questioning strategy.

Another detective, Sgt. Edward Krawiecki even tried to appeal to Nelligan's Christian faith, offering to pray for her, an overture Nelligan rebuffed.

The defense wants to block prosecutors from using Nelligan's comments at trial, which awaits a ruling by Judge Michael Eidens after the hearing.

Tremante Pelham asked each prosecution witness if Nelligan ever asked them for an attorney or if they threatened or forced her to talk. Each time the answer was no.

Krawiecki and other officers and city firefighter paramedics who took the stand Friday said Nelligan mostly remained calm at the scene and during the two days of interviewing.

She became emotional at Ellis Hospital, especially when doctors at Ellis informed her that Sha'hiim might not live.

"She was begging them to continue and told them to just take the pill out of his mouth," said Aimee Parlatore, a city firefighter paramedic, referring to medication that Nelligan contends she had given to the child.

Parlatore and several other prosecution witnesses testified Nelligan told them that she had seen Sha'hiim alert about 10 to 15 minutes before hearing the loud thud that sent her scrambling to his bedroom. She told them that he had been "falling out," which they interpreted as him fainting or passing out.

Caruso also raised concerns to Judge Eidens about the two responding police dashboard camera videos, one of which ends abruptly when the officer arrives on the scene and the other which has no audio.

Testimony is scheduled to resume on Aug. 15. It's unclear if Hotaling will take the stand.

Hotaling remains suspended with pay, charged with misdemeanor menacing ,for an alleged off-duty road rage incident in Glenville in April where he is accused of pointing his service weapon at two men. He has maintained his innocence.

Once testimony in the Nelligan pre-trial hearing is over, the judge will issue a written or oral decision ruling on the issue of the jury hearing the defendant's statements.